Excavator.



No. 802,925. PATENTED OCT. 24, 1905x W. FERRIS.

EXGAVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17, 1904.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Wafnesses:

No. 802,925. PATENTED OCT. 24, 1905. W. FERRIS.

BXGAVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17, 1904 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wdfiwssea- Im/emfqr PATBNTBD OCT. 24, 1905.

w. FERRIS.

EXGAVATOB'.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER FERRIS, OF SOUTH MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO THE BUCYRUS COMPANY, OF SOUTH MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPO- RATION OF WISCONSIN.

EXCAVATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24, 1905.

Application filed August 17,1904. Serial No. 221,249.

To aZZ whom, it Wtcty concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER FERRIs, a citizen of the United States, residing at South Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Excavators; and do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to excavating-machines generally, and in particular to the jackarms that are employed in connection with steam-shovels or other excavators when working close to embankments or wherever it is necessary to brace and steady the machine against a sloping surface.

It also includes a depending strut that is rigidly secured to the machine and extends down to near the track, allowing the car to be wedged against the track to prevent the weight of the jack-arm or its pressure against the bank from thrusting it sidewise and off the ra1 s.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is an end View of a part of a traveling steam-shovel, showing the jack-arm in side elevation. Fig. 2 is a view looking toward the side of the car (the jack-arm being in section) and showing in elevation the strut by means of which the car is wedged against the track, the jack-arm not being shown in this View. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the jack-arm and its foot, and Fig. 4 is a detail of the jack-arm screw.

Referring to the views, (t denotes a part of the car of a traveling steam-shovel, and Z) indicates the wheels thereof, running on the rails c of the usual track.

The jack-arm comprises a compression member (Z, consisting of two bars pivoted at an elevated point on the side of the car, and a tension member 0, also pivoted to the car, but at a point lower down, and both members being pivotally connected to a foot f, the purpose and construction of which will be described later on. The two bars of the compression member d are pivoted at their inner ends on a pin it in a post or standard g at one side of the car, and at their outer ends they are pivotally connected to the jack-arm foot by means of a bolt 2', which extends across the top of the foot and is secured at opposite ends in vertical end pieces f 71.

The tension member consists of right and left hand screws 7c 70, working into threaded heads Z Z, one of which is pivoted at a point considerably below and somewhat outside of the pivot of the tension member to a strut that is rigidly secured to the car and whose function and structure will be presently explained. The other screw-head Z is pivotally connected with the jack-arm foot by means of the same bolt on which the compression member is pivoted.

The foot f of the jack-arm is preferably rectangular in form and consists of a flat bottom made of stout timbers and vertical pieces extending transversely across the ends. The tops of these end pieces are connected together by a bar 772, made of structural iron plates, and a strap 11. extends downward from the center of the bar around the under side of the bolt 71, so as to tie the parts firmly together and form a pivotal point of connection between the foot and the tension and compression members of the jack-arm.

The dotted lines 00 and 00' in Fig. 1 indicate inclined banks at the side of the track, against w which it is desired to brace the car during the excavating operations. In order to adjust the angle of the jack-arm so that its foot may rest against either of such banks, the tension member is made adjustable by means of the screws already described, and for the purpose of efiecting very wide adjustments the following construction is provided, viz: The screws If is are provided with flat-sided heads Z0 70 and are connected together as one screw by means of plates or bars Z Z, that are removably bolted to the flat sides of the heads. In Fig. 4 and in full lines in Fig. 1 these screws are connected together by short plates, and it will be understood that adjustments in the length of the member within certain limits are permitted by screwing up more or less into the heads Z Z; but when unusual ad justments are required or a tension member of unusual length is needed the plates Z Z are unbolted and other and longer plates are substituted, as indicated in the uppermost dotted-line position in Fig. 1. In these several positions of the jack-arm the foot is adapted to rest flat against the bank without regard to the inclination of the arm, this being permitted by the pivotal connection between the upper side of the foot and the two members (tension and compression) of the jack-arm, and connecting both members of the arm to the foot at the same point.

Itis well known that when the shovel is in operation the weights, resistances, and strains, especially the pressure of the jack-arm against the bank and the weight of the arm, tend to push the car sidewise on the track, and the present invention contemplates in combination with the arm a means for wedging the car-wheels against the rails, and thereby counteracting this tendency. This means consists of a rigid strut a, which hangs down from the car-body, preferably in line with the jackarm. It consists of two plates a a shaped approximately as shown in Fig. 1, set side by side and spaced a short distance apart. These plates are removably connected to a bracket (6* on the under side of the car-body by a bolt (4 so that they form a rigid structure which depends from the car-body down to the track below the level of the rails 0, and in order to brace and steady the strut a pair of tie-rods 0, having turnbuckles p in them, are extended from the pin it, on which the compression member of the jack-arm is pivoted, down to the pin 8, which passes through the outer sides of the strut-plates a and on which the tension member of the jack-arm is pivoted. The plates (0 a are connected together by cross-pieces a a, the upper one of which is merely for strength, and the lower one is to form a foot or abutment for a wedge that will presently be described.

When the car is in position for working near an inclined bank and the jack-arm is in position, a loose timber b is set down on the ties between the rail and the lower end of the strut, so as to wedge the wheels firmly to the rail and prevent sidewise movement of the car. This timber has an angle-plate 0 secured on one side to fit against the outer side of the rail and a flat plate 66 to hook under the foot of the rail between ties, and a wedge 0 is also preferably employed between the timber and the cross-piece a of the strut, so

as to jam the timber tightly in place.

Such being the construction it is to be noted that the jack-arm may be set at any elevation required by sloping banks having almost any inclination and that the jack-arm foot being loosely pivoted is free to adjust itself so as to set flat against the bank, as indicated in full lines in Fig. 1.

The depending strut a and the jack-arm are both readily removable from the car-body, it being only necessary to remove the pins a and ii, and the arm and strut can be discon nected by removing the pin 8, which connects the tension member and the upperpart of the strut.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combination with an excavating-machine, of a jack-arm having a compression member and a tension member, one of said members being adjustable.

2. The combination with an excavating-machine, of a jack-arm having a compression member, and an adjustable tension member.

3. The combination with an excavating-machine, of a jack-arm having a non-adjustable compression member, and a tension member comprising an adjusting-screw for setting the arm at different inclinations.

4. The combination with an excavating-machine. of a jack-arm having a compression member, and an adjustable tension member, the latter comprising oppositely threaded heads pivoted respectively to the machine and the jack-arm foot, and right and left hand screws adjustably connecting said heads together.

5. A jack-arm for excavating-machines having an adjustable tension member comprising oppositely-threaded heads, and rightand left hand screws connecting said heads, said screws having heads that are connected together by plates removably secured to their flat sides so as to permit other plates to be substituted.

6. The combination with a wheeled excavatingmachine,of a jackarm projecting from one side thereof, and a rigid strut secured to the machine on the same side as the arm, said strut depending from the machine downward to the track outside of the wheels, and adapted to receive a wedge between its inner side and the track-rail.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WALTER FERRIS.

Witnesses:

HARRY B. HAYDEN, P. 0. Bowl. 

